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EXHIBITION SYNOPSIS

About INFLUENCE

“Influence” is a reflection on the often-used phrase ‘internet celebrity’ (also known as an ‘influencer’) or ‘Wang Hong exhibition’, all of which are phrases and concepts that have recently emerged in response to a rapidly changing technological landscape. While the notion of the ‘internet celebrity’ ( ‘Wang Hong’ in China) has been present at some level since the internet-boom years of the 1990s, an accepted definition is still unclear, and ever-evolving, due to its manifestation in many different forms, and involvement in a variety of fields.

The ‘Wang Hong exhibition’ in a Chinese context is a new form of exhibition produced especially in response to social networking and the sharing of images online. Some of these exhibitions are created purely to be opportunities for taking selfies; others use technology in novel ways to create new kinds of exhibition experiences. The development of internet technology has not only changed our means of social interaction but similarly has altered the development of culture and art. “Influence” explores the concepts surrounding the ‘internet celebrity’ and ‘Wang Hong’ culture in three sections: Communication, Identification and Interpretation. By working with artists and the public, we hope to initiate a discussion regarding the aesthetic, ideological and experiential context of contemporary art in the current age.

The artworks presented in the “Communication” section, such as Ye Funa’s <Beauty Plus Save the Real World> and Cedar Zhou’s <SCREENROOM | iAMHERE>, are all closely related to the use of new media in contemporary art practice. Both the internet and digital media are sometimes used as a tool for communicating an artist’s idea, but also give an opportunity to push established boundaries and broaden the possibilities of what an artist can create. There are many contemporary artists who have chosen to abandon traditional media and have questioned its accessibility and relevance; instead they have decided to use new media, where they can combine a range of techniques and creative tools to offer a new perspective on the way we define, communicate, and share our experiences in the present.

Andy Warhol once said that everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. The ‘Wang Hong’ or ‘internet celebrity’ is no longer an outlandish idea, as described by Warhol, but is now, in fact, an established symbol of a new trend and shared cultural phenomenon. In the “Identification” section, Zhang Keke's video <The Internet Me> shows how internet impacts on the material world and her individual spirit world, Qiao Xi's <Lonely Me> attempts to use photography as a media to explore new generation of internet users’ self-characteristics and their perspectives of the current social phenomenon. While Ren Shuai's installation <Buy> and his performance <Wang Hong> focus on internet celebrities’ self-identity and their influence on the rapid development of consumer culture.

<Hello, Friend> in the “Interpretation” section is an attempt to change the visitors from passive viewers to active presenters who can create their own answer to the question: ‘What is Contemporary Art?’. Through this internet-based interaction, this section wants to close the distance between art and audience, increasing the audiences’ awareness and thoughts of the audience about contemporary art and thereby enriching their artistic experience.

WORKS (5)

Wang Hong(Series: works with no series), 2019installation, miscellaneousARTIST: Ren Shuai

Lonely Me(Series: works with no series), 2019photographyARTIST: Qiao Xi

The Internet Me(Series: works with no series), 2019photography, miscellaneousARTIST: Zhang Keke